Transfer mechanism for book-match machines



' Jan. 13, 1931. L. E. PARKER 1,789,253

TRANSFER MECHANISM FOR BOOK MATCH MACHINES Original Filed April 6, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 v INVEN TOR.

@iiLQ) A TTORNE Y.

Jan. 13, 1931. 1.. E. PARKER TRANSFER MECHANISM FOR BOOK MATCH MACHINES 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed A ril 6, 1927 mmvron.

ATTORNEY.

L. E. PARKER Jan. 13, 1931,

1,789,253 TRANSFER IECHANISM FOR BOOK IIATCI?! MACHINES I Original Filed April 6, 1927 s Sheets-Sheet :5

fr: E I u. I: n

IVNVENTORJ YATTORNEY.

Patented Jan. 13, 1931 a 7 I U Nrrso e es:

LUCIAN n. EARK R, 101F- wnnswonzrn, 01110, nssieivoayro rIiEoHIo ivrA'roii en- EANY, or wA'nswoRTH, oHIo, ACQRBORArIQN'QF OHIO 'rnnnsrnnivji-ncnnmsivrrort noox-naroiifianonmns Original applicationfiled April 6, 1927-, Serial No. ;1s1,47s.- Divided and thisapplication filed a s, 1929.

1 V P I r Serial No. 358,969.

This case is a division of my application for patent for machines for assembling .book matches, filed April 6,-.1927,".Serial -No. 181,478, patented March 1 1 1930, :No. 1,750,281..

The invention relates to a transfer and counting 'mechanism for book matchmachines; that is to say,mechanism whereby the finished match books may be. arranged in proper orderand counted ofi inproper pre determined multiples for packing. f Machines for manufacturing book matches or, more particularly, machines for assembling the cards of matches and their covers to form match books, are generally. so designed as to discharge the finished'books in uniform order. vThisresults in the necessity for providing some means whereby alternate hooks in a. uniform series of same may be turned end-for-end so that, consequent to their characteristic. wedge shape, they may stack evenly and be .in. proper arrangement for packing. Y

Moreover, book matches are customarily packed in boxes of fiftybooks, arranged in two rows of twenty-five Tbooks each, and if means are provided for automatically counting of]? the finished and properly arranged match books in multiples of twenty-five books they may be easily and expeditiously handled and packed in such boxes.

The present invention contemplates, therefore, mechanism, adapted preferably for association or combination with book match machines, adapted to so operate upon a progressive uniform series of finished match books as to turn alternate books of such series end-for-end so that they may stack evenly, and means for counting off the match books in the customary multiples of twentyfive, or other desired multiples, as I will proceed now to explain and finally claim.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating the invention, in the several figures of which like parts are similarly designated, Figure 1 is a fragmentary plan view of a portion of a book match machine embodying the mechanism of my invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation taken on line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 1.' Fig.4 is an enlarged -fragmentary sectional elevation illustratingthe mann r of andmeans for. so spacing the. match-hooksthat they are. counted oif in multiples of twenty-five (or other desirable multiples). f 4 v r The finished books of inatchfi$ a are. discharged from the bookmatohmachineinto a travelling cenveyorb. .-This'C0nVeyor comprises an endless hain10f -links ,1 pivoted together in the usual manner at 2 and travelling over complemental sprocketaonly'one of which sprockets 3 is shown. The sprocket 3 is driven with astep-by-step or, intermits tent motion by means of suitable gearing in timedrelation to the book match machine.

.Each link 1 of the conveyor chain isprovided with two fins or, fingers, 4;, each pair. of

same forming a compartmentin the conveyor for the reception of a match book from the discharge mechanism of the book match machine during the. travelof the conveyor.

All of the match books discharged by; the discharge meehanism. fall; into thev compartments. of the: conveyor with their broad endsfacing in the same relative direction, and as,

in packing,-it is desirable to have every alternate book reversed end-for-end so thatgthe books .will stack evenly, I providethemeehanismnextdescribed. p r Y I As the conveyor 'b travels thedirection ofthe arrow (Fig. ..1)-. it passes beneath a sweep, 5 carried by a shaft 6. This shaft ,is rotated by meanso f bevel gearing 7 driven bychainandsprocket gearing 8 from a shaft 9' c0nnected with and driven in. timed'relation to the bookmatch machine-and hence tothe, conveyor 1). Eachend of the sweep;

5- carries a brush 10, ;andthese. brusheswill alternately, during the rotation of the sweep, remove match books fromalternate compartments of the conveyor b andpush; ithem aroundin an arcuate channel guide 11 until they again enter the conveyor in compart ments thereof which it haspreviously made vacant. .The exit end 12, of the channel guide is. providedwitha resilient member 18 .forming one. of its wall, whereby jamming of [the 7 match books is prevented; In'order to prer nt. ush 1 from ,disa rens na th match books after the latter have been reintroduced into the conveyor by them, .I provide a'guard 1a overlying the conveyor and match books and over which the brushes ride out of contact with the match books,

of the chute adjacent to the slot 16 and lifted out of the compartments of the conveyor. I e V The counting of the match books in predetermined multiples, multiples of twentyfive for example, is readily accomplished by making the follower fin or ,fingerl'? (Figs. 3 and 4c) of every twenty-fifth compartment a little longer than theother fins or fingers V 4, whereby everytwenty-fifth book of matches (ill,

is pushed a little further along the chute 15,

than'the other books. This indicates distinctly, as'indicated at a (Fig. 4) the point of separationbetween multiples of twentyfive'books, and 'leaves a slight space'which enables an operative to readily grasp twentyfive books of matches between the fingers,

without having to count them. This, as will 7 and replacing them in other compartments in endwise reversed position.

2. In a transfer mechanism forbook match machines, a travelling conveyor provided withmeans defining a plurality ofcompartmentseach of which is adapted to receive a match book, and means for removing match books from alternate compartments at one point in the travel of'theconveyor and replacing them at another point and in endwise reversed position in compartments previously made vacant.

' 3. In a transfer mechanism for book match machines, a travelling conveyor provided with compartments each of which is adapted to receive a match book, and means for removing alternate books from said conveyor, turning them end-for-end and reintroducing them into said conveyor including a guide having its ends adjacent to said conveyor and a sweep rotatable in timed relation to the travel of the conveyor, said sweep operating to remove match books from said carrier at one end of said guide, propel them through said guide and insert them in said conveyor i said conveyor, turning them end-for-end and reintroducing them into said conveyor including an arcuate guide having its ends adjacent to said conveyor and a sweep rotatable in timedlrelation to'the travel of the cons veyor, saidsweep'operating to remove match booksfrom said conveyor at one end of said guide, propel them through said guide and insert them in said conveyor at the other end of said guide, the books in their travel through said guide being turned end-for-end' relatively to said conveyor. I

' 5. In a transfer mechanism for book match machines, a traveling conveyor provided with means defining a plurality of compartments therein each compartment adapted to receive a match book, and a chute for receiving the books from said conveyor,-one of the compartment-defining means at each of a plurality of predetermined points on said conveyor being longer than the others of said means intervening, whereby the books received upon the chute will be arranged in predetermined multiples'indicated by the/separation thereof causedby the action of said longer compartment-defining means.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 4th day of June, A. D1929.

' LUCIAN E. PARKER. 

